Europe

Prince Harry: No guest list yet for wedding to Meghan Markle

Britain's
Prince Harry has avoided opening up a diplomatic rift between the
British and US governments over the guest list for his wedding to Meghan
Markle, saying plans had yet to be finalized.

Asked on a BBC radio program whether he would invite former US President Barack Obama Harry swerved the question, saying he didn't want to "ruin that surprise."

There
has been speculation in the UK media that British officials fear the
political consequences if the couple decide to invite Barack and
Michelle Obama, with whom they are friends, but not President Donald
Trump.

Markle,
an American actor, has been critical of Trump in the past, and there is
already widespread controversy in the UK over the prospect of an
official visit by the President to the UK.

Then-US President Barack Obama meets with Prince Harry at the White House in October 2015.

The
wedding is not a full state occasion and the guest list is being drawn
up by Buckingham Palace, with the British government in a consultative
role. It is not clear whether Downing Street would insist on Trump or a
representative being invited, or whether it could block an invitation
being extended to the Obamas.

The
vexed issue came up when Harry appeared as guest editor on BBC Radio
4's flagship morning program, Today, on Wednesday. After a pre-taped exchange between Harry and Obama, the Prince was asked whether his friendship with the former President warranted an invitation to the wedding.

"We
haven't put the invites or the guest list together yet so who knows
whether he's going to be invited or not. I wouldn't want to ruin that
surprise," the prince said.

Harry
has become close to the Obamas through their support for the Invictus
Games, an event for injured servicemen and women that was started by the
UK royal in 2014.

The Prince
conducted the interview with Obama for BBC Radio 4's Today program while
he and the former US President were in Toronto, Canada, for this year's
Games.

The Prince and Markle, who
announced their engagement last month, have set May 19 as their wedding
date. The ceremony is to be held in St George's Chapel at Windsor
Castle, west of London.

What you didn't know about Meghan Markle01:56

UK
newspapers have already begun speculating over who might be on the
guest list, which could bring together an intriguing mix of British and
showbiz aristocracy.

The wedding is
expected to be a smaller affair than that of Harry's brother, Prince
William, in 2011. He and his wife, Catherine, had two receptions in
Buckingham Palace: a traditional lunch for over 600 guests, which was
hosted by the Queen and included dignitaries and officials, and a more
intimate evening party for roughly 300 friends and family.

St
George's Chapel was most recently the scene of the wedding of Peter
Phillips -- son of Princess Anne and cousin to Harry -- who married
Canada-born Autumn Kelly there in 2008.

Harry and Markle spent Christmas with Queen Elizabeth
and Prince Phillip, as well as other family members, at Sandringham,
the Queen's country estate in rural Norfolk, about 100 miles north of
London.

Asked on air Wednesday how
his first Christmas was with Markle, Harry said they had had an "amazing
time" and a lot of fun with William and his family. "Oh it was
fantastic, she really enjoyed it. The family loved having her there," he
said of his fiancee.